


(watch closely) history does nothing but repeat itself

by kayteedancer



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Outside Observer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:33:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayteedancer/pseuds/kayteedancer
Summary: There's something about this girl that seems familiar.  He's never seen this girl in his life but the way she walks through this seedy bar, head high with an invisible crown, utterly confident and seemingly at ease in the Serpents' Lair, gives him pause.





	(watch closely) history does nothing but repeat itself

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! So... I got bit by the Riverdale Bug. I fell in love with the show and with Betty and Jughead; I just couldn't help myself. I hope you enjoy! And please let me know what you think.
> 
> Work title and quote at the beginning are taken from Chuck Palahniuk's book, 'Survivor.'

_“If you watch closely, history does nothing but repeat itself.  What we call chaos is just patterns we haven’t recognized.” –_ Chuck Palahniuk

The first time he sees her, she’s walking into the White Wyrm.  All sunshine blonde hair, pastel colored sweater, and tight ponytail; the girl stuck out amidst the smoke and leather and stench of stale alcohol that permeated the Wyrm.  He grabs a rag and a dirty glass, determined to keep an eye on her and to make sure his fellow Serpents behave.

He sees her stop just inside the front doors, her green eyes taking in the interior of the Wyrm, scanning with laser-sharp focus.  Her eyes skip from one corner to the room to the next before catching his.  He sees her straighten minutely as she reaches up to tighten her ponytail and she begins making her way toward him at the bar.

There’s something about this girl that seems familiar.  He’s never seen this girl in his life but the way she walks through this seedy bar, head high with an invisible crown, utterly confident and seemingly at ease in the Serpents' Lair, gives him pause. 

He finishes drying the glass he’s holding as the girl finally gets to the bar top.  She smiles and just as she’s about to open her mouth one of the young Serpent recruits sidles up behind her.

“Hey there, Princess,” the recruit breathes onto the back of her neck, and he can see the girl stiffen in discomfort.  “What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?”  The girl rolls her eyes and ignores the recruit, looking back toward him behind the bar.  The recruit ignores her dismissal, stepping flush against her back and reaching up to tug at the girl’s ponytail.

“What?” the recruit smirks.  “Serpent got your tongue?”

The other recruits laugh uproariously and he sighs.  He’s what they call “Old Guard” around here, spent more of his life as a Serpent than not, and he knows that it’s recruits like this one that make the Serpents into boogeymen the Stepford wives of the Northside tell their children to keep them in line.

 _Don’t ever go to the Southside, sweetheart. Those Serpents are no good thugs; they’ll take advantage of a sweet girl like you_.

Just as he’s about to get involved, he sees the girl’s fists clench and fire snap in her eyes.  She turns and shoves the recruit away from her.  The boy stumbles and trips over a chair hitting the ground hard.  The girl saunters over to stand above the recruit.

“I’m sorry,” she drawls sweetly, her tone saccharine and her smile so innocent butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.  Her foot comes down on the recruit’s hand and the boy yelps in pain.  “I thought a boy like you would know better than to tangle with a snake.  After all, that’s when people get bit,” the girl continues, bearing down on the recruit’s hand for a few moments longer before finally releasing him.

He almost sees it then.  The image of this blonde girl superimposed over the memory of another person years ago and he can almost grasp it before she flips her ponytail and turns back to the bar top, a smirk crossing her lips.  The recruit whimpers before running back to his friends and the girl’s smirk widens into a smile.

“What can I do for you, Miss?” he asks the girl finally.

“I’m looking for Jughead Jones.  Have you seen him?” the girl replies, eyes boring into his intently.

“Can’t say I have, but he should be here soon,” he answers promptly and sees the girl nod in thanks as she turns to put her back to the bar, going back to scanning the room.

The Serpents are quieter than usual, at least half their attention on the blonde girl leaning against the bar like she owns the place, but soon enough they go back to whatever they were doing before she walked in.  The recruits glare from their corner but the girl just smiles sweetly and waves over at them before looking away.

After what seems like hours, but in reality was no more than ten minutes, he sees FP’s son walk into the Wyrm, jacket on and fitting him like a second skin.  Jughead exchanges nods with a few of the older Serpents, friends of his father’s, before looking over to the bar and stopping dead in his tracks.

“Jughead,” the girl breathes and her face splits into a radiant smile.  She pushes up off the bar and once again reaches up to tighten her ponytail, but accidentally pulls too hard and snaps the elastic.  Frowning at the broken hair tie in her hand, the girl simply shakes her head, pulls her hand through her hair, and makes her way over to FP’s boy.

Jughead snaps into action, nearly running over to her before wrapping his arms around her tightly and pulling her into a kiss.  The rest of the Serpents begin hooting and catcalling as the girl smiles into it, reaching up and pulling off the boy’s beanie to run her fingers through his hair.

Oh. _Oh._

And just like that, the bartender is dumped headfirst into a memory from his time in high school, shortly after he joined the Serpents.  He and FP were young and cocky, feeling invincible in the leather of their new jackets, when a different blonde girl stormed her way into the Wyrm.  Angelic blonde curls, fire in her eyes, and a tongue that could cut a grown man to ribbons, Alice Smith scanned the assembled Serpents before her eyes lit on him and FP.  She walked over to them like she owned the place, a queen in her court, before stopping in front of them.

“FP –,” she starts, but FP cuts her off as he tugs her into his arms and presses his lips to hers.

He snaps out of the memory when he hears the laughter, looking over at Alice’s girl, she has to be Alice’s girl, and FP’s boy and the middle finger the boy’s throwing to the rest of the Serpents as he tucks her under his chin.

A smile steals its way across his face as he looks at the two of them together, so much like their parents had been all those years ago.

“It’s like déjà vu, isn’t it?” Viper asks, and he starts in surprise as he looks over at his friend, another member of the Old Guard. “Like seeing Alice and FP when we were younger.  Who would’ve thought that a Smith and a Jones would find their ways back together again?”

He nods silently, watching as FP’s boy tugs Alice’s girl toward the door. He can only hope that this story has a better ending than their parents’ did once upon a time.  But as he watches FP’s boy smile at Alice’s girl and sees her smile back, her fingers tugging his beanie onto her own head, he knows that this is just the beginning of a long, long life together for the two of them.

“They say history repeats itself,” he finally says, tossing a smirk over to Viper.  “And there’s always going to be a Smith girl and a Jones boy that loves her.”


End file.
